WASHINGTON, August 21 (Sputnik) – Rising civilian deaths, severe drought, capability gaps and a resilient insurgency are just some of the factors that are complicating US efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, the Defense Department Inspector General for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel said in a report submitted to Congress. “Civilian deaths reached historically high levels,
WASHINGTON, August 21 (Sputnik) – Founder of the war contractor formerly known as Blackwater, Erik Prince, during an interview said he hopes White House National Security Adviser John Bolton will be open to considering his plan for privatizing the war in Afghanistan. Over the weekend, Bolton told ABC News that he was willing to mull
William Gallo VOA News August 20, 2018 A plan by billionaire American businessman Erik Prince to privatize the U.S. war in Afghanistan is reportedly receiving renewed interest within the Trump administration, even though Afghan officials continue to criticize it as misguided. Prince is mounting a media campaign to convince President Donald Trump that his plan
DW: The United States’ renewal of sanctions on Iran is having an unintended knock-on effect on Afghanistan. The country’s currency is taking a beating as dollar smugglers rush to provide much-needed foreign exchange to the neighboring Iranian economy. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: Blackwater founder Erik Prince, who has been reportedly pushing for the US government to “privatize” the war in Afghanistan, said on Monday that one year after the launch of the Pentagon’s new strategy for South Asia, the Afghan war “remains a total failure.” Prince meanwhile said last week that he hasn’t spoken directly
Ayaz Gul VOA News August 18, 2018 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — The fugitive Taliban leader renewed his call Saturday for direct talks with the United States, dismissing as impractical and unacceptable “propositions” he asserted Washington has offered to promote a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan. Malawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a message to his followers ahead
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan August 18, 2018 The leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban has said there can be no peace in the country as long as foreign “occupation” goes on. In an August 18 statement to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada repeated that the Taliban remain committed to “Islamic goals” and the sovereignty
Michael Hughes: Afghanistan for at least the fifth time in the past eight years has experienced a “Tet-like” offensive – that is, if you believe military pundits, scholars and reporters who often cannot resist historical analogies even if it comes at the expense of true clarity. This is not to say the siege of Ghazni
NBC News: President Donald Trump is increasingly venting frustration to his national security team about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and showing renewed interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince to privatize the war, current and former senior administration officials said… It has raised ethical and security concerns among senior military officials, key lawmakers and
Reuters: The problems they have found are the same ones that existed a decade ago when the NATO-led coalition began to reshape Afghan forces into an army on U.S. lines – poor logistics and organization as well as a reliance on static checkpoints that are vulnerable to attack. Click here to read more (external link).